Abstract

This study examined the body size ideals of a group of male fat admirers (FAs) in comparison with an age- and body mass index (BMI)-matched control sample. Forty-seven men, who were involved in the fat acceptance community, and 64 control individuals rated a series of 10 images of women that varied in BMI from emaciated to obese. As expected, the results showed that FAs rated a significantly higher BMI as the most physically attractive compared with the control sample. FAs also rated figures with higher BMIs, particularly those in overweight and obese categories, more positively than did the control group. In addition, FAs perceived a wider range of body sizes to be physically attractive than the control group. Participant demographics did not predict ratings over and above affiliation with either the FA or control groups. These results are discussed in relation to the growing body of work examining fat admiration.